Telephone system.



- J. L. McQUARRlE.

TELEPHONESYSTEM.

\PPLICATION FILED APR. 13. l9l 7.-

1,287,064. Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

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//7 Van for: Jamgs L. Mfluarn'e.

barre s are PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. MCQUARRIE, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., 'A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

Application filed April 13, 1917. Serial No. 161,781.

To all whonm't may concern Be it, known that I, J Anus L. MCQUARRIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Moutclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone Systems, of which the following is a full, clear,

- concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to telephone systems. and more particularly to telephone systems employing machine switches.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a line number indicating means which is simple in construction, effective in operation and easy to install and maintain.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automatic switch to which the invention has been applied. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken on the. line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The indicating device herein disclosed may be employed with a finder or a selector switch, but for clearness in description the invention has been shown as used with a finder switch. The switch structure is substantially the same as that disclosed in the patent of C. L. Goodrum, No. 1,231,013, issued June 26, 1917 and may be controlled by the circuit arrangement disclosed in that application.

On the brush shaft 5 are spirally mounted the sets of brushes 6. The shaft is mounted for vertical and rotary movement to position the proper set of brushes 6 into engagement with the desired set of terminals of the terminal bank 7. The sets of brushes 6 which are connected in multiple are electrically connected with an operators position, indicated by the plug 8. The brush shaft 5 is provided with vertical ratchet teeth 9 arranged to be engaged by the vertical pawl 10 carried by an extension of the armature 11 of vertical magnet 12. The lower portion of the shaft 5 is provided with a gear wheel 13 with which'gear wheel 14 meshes. The gear 14 is mounted on a spindle 15, which is also provided with rotary ratchet teeth 16 arranged to be engaged-by the pawl 17 controlled by the armature of therotary magnet 18. I

In accordance with the present invention a bell crank lever 19 is arranged to engage insulated knob 20. It will be noted that the bell crank lever is so mounted that the knob 20 closes the contact springs 21 only when the shaft descends. A similar bell crank lever 22, also mounted on the frame, is arranged to engage the rotary ratchet teeth 16. The lever 22 on the return of the brush shaft 5 to its normal rotary position, closes the contact springs 23 once for each step the brush shaft has taken in its advancing movement. A meter, generally designated 21, consists of a shaft 25 upon which the number wheels 26 and 27 are rotatably mounted. These number wheels are provided with ratchet teeth which are engaged by pawls 28 and 29 controlled by the armatures of the units and tens magnets 30 and 31. Each number wheel is spring controlled and tends to return to zero when disengaged by the pawls 28 and 29 and by the holding dogs 32 and 33. A magnet 34 is provided with an extension 35 on its armature to release the number wheels. V

In the operation of the system. the rotary magnet 18 is intermittently energized in the well-known manner to cause it to vibrate its armature. The pawl 17 engages the rotary ratchet teeth 16 and through the medium of the gear wheels 13 and 14, rotates the shaft 5 to select the set of brushes which engages the group of lines in which the calling line terminates. Vhen the desired group of lines has been selected, the rotary magnet 18 is rendered inoperative and the vertical magnet 12 actuates its armature 11 to elevate the selected set of brushes into engagement with the terminals of the calling line in the manner disclosed in the application above mentioned. The calling line is then extended by means of conductors 37 and 38 to the operators position indicated by the plug 8.

At the close of the conversation, a release magnet (not shown) causes the brush shaft to be restored to its normal position. In restoring the brush shaft first descends and in sodoing, the bell crank lever 19 is actuated once for each vertical step that the brush. shaft has been advanced. With each actuation of the bell crank lever 19, a circuit is closed from round through the contact springs 21, winding of magnet 30 to grounded battery. The magnet 30, in response to net 31, to grounded battery.

dog 32 operates to hold the number wheel in its advanced position. When the brush shaft has completed its descent, it is then rotated to its normal rotary position. In rotating toithis position, the bell crank lever 22 is vibrated once for each rotary step taken by the brush shaft in selecting a proper set of brushes for group select-ion. Each time that the lever 22 vibrates on the return of the brush shaft, a circuit is closed from ground, contact springs 23, winding of mag- The magnet 31 operates its armature in response to each closure of its energizing circuit, and by means of pawl 29, the tens digit wheel 27 is operated to indicate the tens digit of the calling number. It will be understood in the operation otsuch a system that each finder or group of finders is associated With a particular group of lines. For this reason the ten thousands, thousands and hundreds digits of the calling number will be permanently set on the register associated with any group of finders. When the operator has ascertained the number of the calling line, she depresses the key 38 and thereby completes a circuit from ground, Key 38 and its contact, Winding of magnet 34;, to grounded battery; Magnet 34 attracts its armature and disengages the pawls 28 and 29 and the dogs 32 and 33, to permit the number wheels 26 and 27 to rotate to their normal position.

The invention has been shown in connection with a finder switch, but it may be employed in connection with any machine switch to count the number of steps that the switch has taken during its group and units selection.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, an automatic selector switch, a counting device, and means actuated by said switch during its restoration for actuating said counting device.

2. In combination, an automatic selector switch having a brush-carrying element, means for advancing said brush-carrying element, a counting device, and. means actuated by said brush-carrying element simultaneously with its restoration for actuating said counting device.

3. In combination, a step-by-step selector switch, a counting device, means for operating and means for restoring said switch, and means actuated by said switch during its restoration for operating said counting device.

4. Ina telephone system, an automatic switch, a plurality of incoming lines ter- Ininating at said switch, a device for indicating the line with which said switch is in engagement, and means for operating said device during the restoration of said switch.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 11th day of April, A. D., 1917.

JAMES L. MQQUARRIE. 

